10 things to do for your practice in 2012

Deb Beaulieu

For the last FiercePracticeManagement issue of 2011 (we'll be back Jan. 4, 2012), I wanted to provide you with especially uplifting news and commentary. Unfortunately, I can't control the sometimes disappointing news, but I did recently come across a blog post from Marc and Angel Hack Life that offers some refreshing, practical perspective as we enter a new year.

I've adapted the list of "30 Things to Start Doing for Yourself" into "10 Things to Start Doing for Your Practice." Check it out:

1. Hire the right people, and nurture their role within your practice. This is a topic we've visited frequently on FiercePracticeManagement. What the experts have told me time and again is to hire for fit with your practice's values and culture. Train employees well and communicate expectations. And of course, don't forget to say "thank you."

2. Benchmark your practice, and monitor key indicators. As the cliché goes, if you don't measure it, you can't manage it. And as our recent guest writer Brandon Betancourt posted on his own blog, Pediatric Inc, get a real idea of what would happen to your practice--and how soon--if everything went wrong.

3. Let patients get to know you. There are lots of ways to build rapport with your community and individual patients that create the warm feelings that lead to more word-of-mouth referrals and fewer copays forgotten at home. One of the most prevalent today (you knew it was coming) is social media.

4. Start valuing the lessons your mistakes teach you. You know this: Not every hire will be a great fit. Not every process change will achieve what you want. Not every patient will write a glowing review about you on the Internet. But your practice stands to learn and benefit from all of these mishaps, if you make the effort.

5. Develop a vision for your practice. Take the time to really consider what your practice stands for and how you intend to demonstrate those values. Then do just that: Show what you're made of.

6. Start entering new relationships for the right reasons. Whether it's a vendor contract, a potential partner for a merger or accountable care organization or a candidate for a position you need filled yesterday, recognize the long-term necessity of making thoughtful, well-informed decisions.

7. Start competing against an earlier version of yourself. Again, only once you determine your baseline for a goal can you know whether you improve. So if last year's patient satisfaction surveys left a bad taste in your mouth, don't abandon using them. Make changes based on the feedback and measure again.

8. Don't be a hypocrite. You probably tell your patients constantly that they can't be much good to anyone else if they don't take care of themselves. Make a commitment to yourself and to your practice to stand up to stress.

9. Start accepting things when they are less than perfect. Even though the stakes in healthcare are unavoidably high, all of those involved in providing it are human. The way your office runs will always be a work in progress. There is always something you can (and should) improve. But don't let the notion that you will never be satisfied hold you back from your goals.

10. Start concentrating on the things you can control. Although there is much about running a practice and caring for patients you can't control, we've at least gotten you started with the above nine items that you can. Invest your time and energy wisely.

On behalf of the entire Fierce editorial team, we wish you a fantastic holiday season and fulfilling New Year. - Deb @PracticeMgt